Gibson j-185 blues King

This is the latest addition to the stable. It's a very nice playing guitar with a very similar neck to the L-4 jazz guitar.
I had a problem with the pickup, the first and sixth strings were not amplified. I took it back to the technician at the Guitar Centre who worked on it. Still, the first string is not as loud as the rest but I intend using it with a microphone, so maybe that's not so important. The technician told me that the next one they had was plagued with the same problem. Seems like it's endemic.
I still really like this guitar and I wouldn't trade it. One thing I've learned is that nothing is perfect, but this is really close.

Five guitars

Well, here are five of the critters.

Fender Stratocaster, American Deluxe.

Gibson L-4 Jazz guitar.

Pimentel Southwest style, steel strung. Finely crafted by Rick Pimentel.

Pimentel Nylon strung. Crafted with loving attention by Lorenzo Pimentel.

And then my constant companion, (for all of my adult life) the Gretsch Chet Atkins hollow body.

Snow and new song

Red River had a pretty good snow with 8" in town and about a foot on the mountain. Maybe I'll go snow shoeing after all, and maybe some cross country skiing too.
I have a new song in the making, kinda based on a classical piece, and still needing a lot of work. I think that this one has progressed far enough along that it will survive. So many of them don't.

New Mexico Magazine

If you have access to New Mexico magazine, look in the February issue, page 31. There is a write up about the album "A different place, a different time". It's in the section entitled " Editors best bets". It lists the address of "Cdbaby" where copies can be obtained.
Last night the Primetime was quite busy with some great dancers. Tonight and tomorrow I'm working on new songs at the lake. I'm also looking forward to warmer weather so we can open back up on the deck at Sugarmill Creek. I hope you're all having a nice weekend.

A different time, a different place. The Album

Here's a list of people's favourite songs off this album.
Bill Loughner........I'm the Coyote.
Paul S............... Taylor Ranch Road.
Mary F.............. Shame on you.
Dulcimer Dan... Colorado Mountain Girl.
Lou D............... Farewell.
Daniel Brooks... Taylor Ranch Road.
Jimmy Rose.......Thunder in the Mountains.
Connie S........... I'm the Coyote.
Les B................Taylor Ranch Road.
Linda B.............St. James Hotel.
Robert B...........In the Pink.
John Stuart Brooks...The Chili Line.
Jere and Joy..... At the Alvarado.
Mike A............. I'm the Coyote.
Michael Hearne... Thunder in the Mountains.
Paige Pinnell.... At the Alvarado.
Fritz Davis....... I'm the Coyote.
John Foster...... Colorado Mountain Girl.
Jeff Fagan....... St James Hotel.
Jack Walter.......Colorado Mountain Girl.
Jan Walker........I'm the Coyote.
Christy Walter.... St James Hotel.
Peggy Tingle...... Shame on you.
Philip Wellington Brooks... St James Hotel.
Carolyn W.........Miss Kate.
Ray S. ...........Taylor Ranch Road.
Tammy B. .........I'm the Coyote.
Nora .............St. James Hotel.
Charles Gibson....I'm the Coyote.

I'll keep adding to this list as people e-mail me.
Thank you everyone, for your time and consideration.

Colorado Springs

A few years ago I was staying in Colorado Springs and decided to drive up Pikes Peak. It was in October and as you can see very cold up there. Last fall when I was in Florissant I could see Pikes Peak as I drove to work. It's 14,110ft high and the road is quite steep. It really does feel like the top of the world. As you come down a park ranger checks your brakes with a special device to see if they are overheating. If so, you have to pull over until they cool.
If you're in the Colorado Springs area try to take this trip. Oh, and try Bon Jon's for breakfast in Colorado City.

Atlanta

I spent most of the day in Atlanta with lunch at Applebee's. How people handle all that traffic day after day I don't know. Cd sales have really picked up over the internet and it will soon be possible to download individual songs. As soon as I have more information on that I'll post it. By request, I'll also be posting a listing of your favourite songs off the album. If you would like your selection included please e-mail me at

pjbrooks@alltel.net

I've spent considerable time trying to figure out what direction to go in with my next album and still don't know for sure what I want.
I'm hoping your feedback will help. Til next time......

Albums

If you look on my website you'll see I have updated my albums. There are now five showing. You'll see the Country Pie album and two Detroits Showband albums along with "A different place, a different time" and "The Fishermen of Fleetwood".
I joined the Detroits right after "Irish Country Sound" was recorded so even though I wasn't on the recording I ended up with a lengthy biography on the back cover.
I recently saw a used copy of the Country Pie album on sale on vinyl.uk. I think they are located in Japan. The price was about 19 English pounds.

What a beautiful day!!

Yesterday, thursday was such a beautiful day with temperatures around 70deg, I decided to do some bush hogging and general cleaning up. I also drove the 88" rover with the top off and it was great to feel the wind while driving around town.

The 109" In Rovertalk the number refers to the wheebase. This is my pickup, a 1966, longwheel base. The paint job is mine and cost all of $27.00. A can of Rust-oleum goes quite a long way. The two colours are Regal red and Antique white

Looking forward to seeing you all at the Primetime tonight. I now start at 6:30pm.

Dancing at the "Primetime"

Thanks "Anon" for the comments. Unfortunately Rhea has gone back home to Colombia,S.C. and we have no photographs of her fabulous clogging. Maybe she"ll come back to visit.
What I do have is a photo of Ben taken several years ago. Remember the guy in the hat in a previous posting? This brings home to me just how long I've been at the Primetime. It will be 10 years in may. That's the longest I've ever been in one place. My thanks to Dan, Barbara, Cindy, Chris, Jenny and sister Sarah for making this such a great place to perform. The Primetime is a family owned and operated business and they do a great job. If you hav'nt been already, you owe it to yourself to visit.

Fender Stratocaster.

This is a guitar I always wanted to own. The first person I saw play one of these was Hank Marvin of the Shadows. That tone always sent shivers down my spine. This is also the model guitar Buddy Holly played. Countless others have used one since then. It's strange that I waited until around 2000 to get my own.
It is an American deluxe. That year they came in red or green, a very familiar question if you spend time in my favourite state. When played through the Vox valvetronix amplifier, I can get that incredible Hank B. Marvin sound. I used this guitar on the latest album on Taylor Ranch Road. It was doubled with a Pimentel nylon strung to produce that haunting riff. T.T.R. is my great nephew Daniel's favourite song on the new album. Daniel is also a guitarist in Chippenham, England.

The Dolphin bar blog

Hi, Don't forget to check out my Dolphin Bar blog. It contains a bunch of photographs and stories of my time at the Dolphin bar in my home town during the sixties.....

Guitars in my life.

I had a request last week to show and talk about some of the guitars I have used over the years. My very first instrument was a plastic 'Tommy Steele" ukelele. My Mom
then bought a steel strung accoustic for me. It was difficult to play, just like a lot of the cheaper guitars of that time and finally my Dad bought me an electric Hohner guitar. It was quite nice. I think he did'nt realize we then had to buy an amplifier.
The Bluebeats recorded in Decca Studios, London in 1964 and the local music store loaned me a Fender Telecaster and a Vox ac-30 amp. I wanted to keep them both but ended up just buying the amp. Later I came across a Gibson Les Paul Junior and I traded the Hohner for it. It was a great little guitar. The only drawback was it didn't have enough variation in tone. In 1965 I came across the Gretsch Chet Atkins Hollowbody and with some help from my Mom traded up once more. That guitar cost about $700.00 used. That was about half the annual salary of most factory workers of the time. I felt very fortunate and was immensly proud of it. I still have it today and still use it. It was played on the Fishermen of Fleetwood album in the song.. The Dolphin Bar. I think it was manuctured in 1961 and find it hard to believe that I have had it for almost 45 years.
The Photo was taken in 1972 in Atlanta by Jerry Hearde.

This is the taping of the
Southern Hospitality television show.
The host, Kathy Nicholson.
Here are Kathy and Linda making
breakfast burritos with green chili.
They were having a lot of fun and
you can tell. I'm not sure of the
broadcast date but will post it
when I find out.
Later on I sang the Chili line
song from the new album. This time I'm playing a nylon strung
Washburn, a workhorse of a guitar.
It's interesting to see how the technology associated with recording video has changed and improved over the last few years.
Quite amazing!!!

New Year 2006

This was part of the crowd at Sugarmill Creek for the new year's party.
It was quite cold but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm.
We had a fabulous time, and Rita and Melissa helped by providing all kinds of food.
I was joined by blues harmonica player "Trout" who gave us some great solos. I spent the night at the lake and enjoyed two days of working on music while the rain continued nonstop.